


and they were roommates

by Tentygal



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: Drabble, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, This is dumb and self-indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 03:35:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17358167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tentygal/pseuds/Tentygal
Summary: Todd’s problem was 6 feet tall with a penchant for mint tea and eyes that gave off light like a fire throws out sparks. He said the smartest things in class, made the best passes on the soccer field, and got along with everyone -- even Mr. Nolan. He was also, by some cruel/fortuitous twist of fate, Todd’s roommate.





	and they were roommates

**Author's Note:**

> the roommates to lovers au that everyone is a slut for

Todd’s problem was 6 feet tall with a penchant for mint tea and eyes that gave off light like a fire throws out sparks. He said the smartest things in class, made the best passes on the soccer field, and got along with everyone -- even Mr. Nolan. He was also, by some cruel/fortuitous twist of fate, Todd’s roommate. 

 

Todd had dealt with crushes before, but never one as...immediate as Neil Perry. Not only was Neil constantly in their room, muddling up Todd’s thoughts when he tried to do trig homework, he was also so  _ alive _ \-- always rambling enthusiastically about his latest passions, ruffling Todd’s hair, walking next to him between classes, sitting too close when they went to the cave, the vibrations of his voice stirring Todd’s inner ear with every liquid verse of poetry that he read aloud. 

 

Neil was on the end of Todd’s bed right now, being his usual, distractingly charming self. He poked Todd’s leg.

 

“What are you writing?” 

 

Todd hunched his upper body protectively over the piece of paper in his lap. “English homework.” 

 

“That poem Keating assigned us?” 

  
“...Maybe.” 

 

“Can I read it?” 

 

“No. It’s not any good yet….” 

 

“Oh, come on.” Neil swiped for the page. “I know you’re a writing genius -- let me take a look!” 

 

Todd snatched his work back. “You can see it when I’m ready.” 

 

“Okay, fair enough.” Neil put his hands up in mock surrender. “I don’t know what I’m going to write about yet...I already did the woods; what’s left?  _ Ode to Mr. Nolan’s Jowls _ ?” 

 

“Lots of things,” protested Todd mildly. “Anything. You could even write about nature again; there’s nothing wrong with that.” 

 

“Yeah, but I’m bored of it….” Neil kicked his legs half-heartedly against the edge of the bed. “I want to write something more personal this time...like...I don’t know, I was thinking...maybe about love.” 

 

“Yeah?” Todd’s head whipped up in spite of himself. “Anyone in mind?” Later, when relaying the story to Meeks and Charles, he would deny that his heart had had any reaction to Neil’s statement, but the truth was that it squeezed in his chest, half hopeful, half in fear. 

 

“Yes, but you’ll laugh at me if I tell you.” 

 

“No I won’t. I never do. Promise.” 

  
“I’ll tell you who if you read me your poem.” 

 

Todd looked down at his paper.  _ Honey is a taste and a color/ His eyes are as sweet as the taste of the color that they are... _ and various other scribblings that he would rather burn than reveal to the light of day. Neil flopped over sideways and butted his head plaintively against Todd’s shins. 

 

“Come on, Todd, what’s the big deal? You’re going to have to read it in front of the class anyway.” 

 

“It’s just...personal. You have your secrets, I have mine.” The latter half of his sentence came out somewhat more harshly than intended, and Todd winced at the bite in his voice. “...Sorry.”    
  
“They’re not really  _ secrets _ ,” said Neil, avoiding his roommate’s glare. “It’s no one you don’t already know.” 

 

“Chris?” Todd couldn’t keep the incredulity from his tone. “If Knox found out, he’d--” 

 

“Not Chris, you idiot. I mean, forget about Knox, her actual boyfriend’d probably tear me apart if I went for her! Besides, girls...aren’t really my thing.” 

 

“...Oh.” Todd hoped that his face wasn’t as red as it felt. “I’m sorry I assumed--” 

 

“It’s fine,” interrupted Neil, slightly too loudly. He looked up at the ceiling for a long moment, and then, without redirecting his gaze, said in a rush, “If you really want to know, I was actually thinking about writing about you.” 

 

It took a moment for that to hit home; Todd’s ears were ringing with white noise. “Excuse me?” he finally eked out, certain that he had misheard his roommate. “What?” 

 

Neil, still refusing to meet the other boy’s eyes, repeated: “I was thinking about writing a poem about love and I was thinking it could be about you.” If not for the numerous times he had practiced this speech with Charlie, Neil didn’t think he could have made it through. His face was burning as it was. God, he sounded stupid. Why was everything coming out like this? Despite the months he had spent dreaming and scheming and dropping as many subtle hints as he could, doubts now flooded into the awkward silence. He shouldn’t have sprung this out of nowhere, he should have planned a smoother confession, he shouldn’t have confessed at all -- now everything would be ruined, there would be a gap in the Poets -- he should have-- 

 

“You mean as in brotherly love?” 

 

_ Bless his soul, _ thought Neil fondly. But as tempting as it was, he couldn’t take the easy out. He was finishing this today and now.  _ Pretend you’re onstage,  _ Charlie had said to him.  _ Say it like it’s lines.  _

 

“No, Todd, um, not...really.” The line landed with much less gravitas than he would have said it onstage, but it would have to do. 

 

Todd was still staring at him wide-eyed over the top of the notebook. He bore an expression of slight concern, as though Neil had just hit his head on the bed frame, or announced that he was excited about med school. Neil backtracked hastily. 

 

“What I mean is just...well….Look, I was having trouble coming up with ideas. So I did the thing Keating made you do, and I just closed my eyes and said the first thing that came into my head. But it was you. Every time; I just kept coming up with….I thought about it and I realized that I...you….You mean a lot to me, Todd, as more than a friend. I don’t really know what I’m saying -- I don’t even know if you like men -- but I’m, well, I wanted to let you know--” 

 

He was blabbering, he knew, but he couldn’t seem to stop now that he had started. Todd’s face was growing more and more unreadable, until finally, miraculously, it broke into a grin. 

 

“Neil,” he said, uncharacteristically stern, “that’s enough.” 

 

On a stage, this was where Neil would have swept his roommate into a dramatic kiss, sunlight spilling over them and violins playing in the background. But they weren’t onstage. They were just two awkward teenagers, albeit with two very full hearts. Shyly, Todd handed Neil his notebook. 

 

“I, um, was sort of writing about you, too,” he said. “I-it’s not any good yet. I would rather you not read it, but a deal’s a deal.” 

 

Neil’s eyes flicked down to the page and scanned the first lines. He cocked an eyebrow mischievously. “So I’m not a sweaty madman, huh? Thanks.” 

 

Todd shoved him. “Oh, shut up.” 

 

“No, really, I’m honored.”

 

“Agh, I take back what I said! Give me my notebook, asshole.” 

 

By now, Neil was smiling too hard to heed his roommate. All was right in the universe and their normal push-pull dynamic could be restored. “Nah, I don’t think so. This is good stuff. Do you mind if I keep this page?” He flapped the book obnoxiously in Todd’s face.  

 

Todd just rolled his eyes, sighed. 

 

“Honey is a--” 

 

Before Neil could finish reading the line aloud, Todd had leaped up and slapped a hand over his roommate’s mouth. Neil licked Todd’s hand and as the other boy recoiled, Neil bounced to his feet and jumped to his own bed, continuing: “--a taste and a color/ His eyes are--” He couldn’t stop smiling, he couldn’t stop laughing and jumping -- he was miles off the ground. 

 

Todd made a rather intense lunging tackle across the tiny room and grabbed Neil around the waist, bringing them both crashing to Neil’s bed. They were nose to nose. 

 

“Hi,” said Neil, the mirth suddenly gone from his voice and replaced with something softer and sweeter.    
  


“I told you to stop reading out loud,” said Todd plaintively. And then he leaned in and closed the distance between them. 

 

Probably the one part of the story that they would both agree on in the many times they retold it was that the kiss was, for all intents and purposes, not very good. Neither of them had had much experience. They were winded. They barely progressed past the touching-lips phase. But none of that mattered. It felt like a miracle anyway. And they had all the time in the world to perfect their technique.    
  


**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! i wrote this 2 feel a lil bit less sad abt both this movie and the fact that its fandom is almost dead (no pun intended); hope it also made u a lil less sad :) lmk if u have any feedback!!!


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